IMAGE: Lalbaug Cha Raja in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi
Each year ardent devotees all over India and around the world celebrate the 10-day long festival to mark the birthday of Lord Ganesha.
From small, intimate pujas in homes everywhere to elaborate pandals that attract community gatherings in villages, towns and cities in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, as well as in states further afield, one can't miss experiencing the happy festive fervour that enlivens this fortnight every September.
IMAGE: The Girijatmaj temple or the Lenyadri Ganesha temple, located in Cave 7 of the rock-cut Ganesa Lena or Ganesh Pahar caves, near Junnar, in Pune district, is one of the eight Ashtavinayaka or key Ganesh temples. Photograph: Kind courtesy: Niemru/Wikimedia Commons
Here's a special quiz to test your knowledge of this revered Hindu deity. Each answer will take you to the next questions. Let's get going!
1. Why is Lord Ganesha called Vighnaharta?
A. He promotes harmony
B. He eliminates hate
C. He eliminates hurdles or obstacles
D. He brings prosperity
C.
Lord Ganesha is known as the Vighnaharta, which means the one who removes all hurdles or obstacles.
2. When was the first public celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi after the British took over India?
A. 1893
B. 1897
C. 1901
D. 1908
A.
Lokmanya Tilak introduced the idea of a public Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in 1893 to unite India against the British.
3. Which state/s has the eight ancient temples of Ganesha collectively known as Ashtavinayaka?
A. Karnataka and Maharashtra
B. Maharashtra
C. Gujarat and Maharashtra
D. Tamil Nadu
B.
Maharashtra has eight highly revered Ganesh temples that devotees worship and often visit on one journey of pilgrimage that requires they visit all eight in a row and then return to the first temple.
These temples are located near Pune, in Raigad and Ahmednagar district.
They are: Mayureshwar temple, Morgaon, Pune district; Siddhivinayak temple, Siddhatek, Ahmednagar district; Ballaleshwar temple, Pali, Raigad district; Varadavinayak temple, Mahad, Raigad district; Chintamani temple, Theur, Pune district; Girijatmaj temple, Lenyadri, Pune district; Vighneshwar temple, Ozar, Pune district and Mahaganapati temple, Ranjangaon, Pune district.
4. Lord Ganesha is first offered prayers during any puja before prayers are offered to other gods.
A.
True. As Lord Ganesh is known as Vighnaharta, devotees pray to him first to ward off any obstacles.
5. Which 17th century Maharashtrian saint wrote the Marathi Ganesha aarti bhajan, Sukhharta Dukhharta?
A. Sant Dnyaneshwar
B. Sant Rohidas
C. Sant Gora Kumbhar
D. Samarth Ramdas
D.
Sant Samarth Ramdas, a poet, philosopher, spiritual leader, who hailed from Jalna, Maharashtra and was born into a Marathi Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin family around 1608 AD, wrote extensively on religious topics and about the times he lived in.
He composed Sukhkarta Dukhharta, which is a Marathi aarti or devotional song dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
6. Who is Lord Ganesh's brother?
A. Yama
B. Kartikeya
C. Manu
D. Krishna
B.
Ganesha and Kartikeya are the children of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Kartikeya is also known as Murugan and Subrahmanya.
7. Which of these Ganesh temples is considered the oldest temple in India?
A. Manakula Vinayagar temple, Puducherry
B. Siddhivinayak temple, Mumbai, Maharashtra
C. Ranthambore Ganesh temple, Ranthambore, Rajasthan
D. Madhur Mahaganapathi temple, Kasaragod, Kerala
C.
The Trinetra temple, commonly known as the Ranthambore Ganesh temple, is said to be the oldest still-standing Ganesh temple in India that has not been reconstructed.
As per history, it was erected inside Ranthambore fort by King Hammiradeva, the last king of the Chauhan dynasty in 1300 AD.
8. Which Ganesh temple is home to the family deity of Lata Mangeshkar and her family?
A. Manu temple
B. Mangueshi temple
C. Marthanda temple
D. Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple
B.
Located near old Goa, in Ponda, the Mangueshi temple is the kuldevta (family deity) of the famous Mangeshkar family.
9. In which country, other than India, is Ganesh Chaturthi a public holiday?
A. Nepal
B. Thailand
C. Mauritius
D. Cambodia
C.
The island nation of Mauritius has vigorous celebrations of Ganesh Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi is a public holiday. In Sri Lanka too many offices are closed on Ganesh Chaturthi but it's not a public holiday.
10. Which is the richest Ganesh pandal in India?
A. Lalbaug Cha Raja, Mumbai
B. Girgaon Cha Raja, Mumbai
C. GSB Seva Mandal Ganpati, Mumbai
D. Khairtabad Ganesh Pandal, Hyderabad
C.
The Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal's Ganpati is known to be India's richest.
This year, they reportedly insured their Ganesha pandal for Rs 400.58 crores/Rs 4.0058 billion according to an Economic Times report.
11. The visarjan of this Ganpati takes 22 hours. Who is He?
A. GSB Seva Mandal Ganpati, Mumbai
B. Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani, Mumbai
C. Lalbaug Cha Raja, Mumbai
D. Girgaon Cha Raja, Mumbai
C.
(One of the most revered pandals in Mumbai, Lalbaug Cha Raja has a really grand Ganpati visarjan. Each year, the 10-day celebrations conclude with a procession to sea that lasts from 10 am till 8 am the next morning. The immersion takes places at Girgaon Chowpatty.)
12. In which country is this Ganesh temple?
A. Myanmar
B. Bangladesh
C. Guyana
D. Indonesia
D.
That is the Manjangan Temple in Bali, Indonesia.
Photograph of the Menjangan temple in Quiz Question 12: Kind courtesy Oogstweg/Wikimedia Commons
Feature Production: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
